Ghanaian actor Majid Michel has fired back at long-running debates that pit Ghana’s film industry against Nollywood, calling such comparisons both stupid and unfair. In a recent interview on Y1079 FM Accra, the veteran star argued that Nigeria’s much larger population makes the rivalry completely unrealistic.
Michel used a straightforward family analogy to drive home his point.
“The comparison between us and Nigeria is such a stupid comparison to me. If you have 50 children and I have five children, the possibility that you will have more criminals, doctors, good children, and filmmakers than me is very high,” he said.
He went on to highlight the numbers:
“We are less than 40 million in Ghana. Nigeria has over 200 million, almost 300 million. So how on earth would you compare? It doesn’t make any sense. Statistically, you should know why.”
The actor stressed that Nigeria’s bigger talent pool naturally leads to more filmmakers and productions.
“So if Nigeria has more filmmakers than us, it only makes sense because they are way more than us. It is also unfair for us to compare ourselves with any other established nation in the world,” he added.
Michel extended the argument beyond entertainment, noting that Ghana and many African countries are still developing systems while some nations have centuries of institutional experience.
He also pushed back against claims that Ghana’s movie sector is dying.
“People are saying the film industry in Ghana is going down. No, it’s not. There are productions going on every day, and filmmakers are producing for Africa Magic. They are busy, and people are constantly on set, but maybe the pay isn’t too good,” Michel explained.
Michel, who has built a successful career starring in both Ghanaian and Nollywood projects, is known for speaking candidly on industry issues. His latest remarks frame population size and structural realities as the real factors behind differences in output rather than any lack of talent or effort in Ghana.